Mostert Builds Lead For Schnitzer In Opening Hour

Schnitzer untouchable early

3 February 2018, 7:46 PM

After an hour of racing in the 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour, Chaz Mostert has been the star of the show. Yesterday’s pole winner in the #43 BMW Team Schnitzer BMW has a massive lead of over 40 seconds, the Australian pulling away from the field, proving untouchable on pace as the sun rises over New South Wales.

The start of the race was a anti-climactic, the race neutralised during Lap 1, for the #96 MARC Cars Focus having an off before the start of the race into the fencing before the final corner.

Once the safety car went in though, it became fast and furious up front, Mostert drove off into the distance, while the cars behind jostled for position.

Christopher Haase is now second overall after vaulting the #74 Jamec Pem Audi up the order, getting past teammate Frederic Vervsich in the sister #22 Audi down Mountain Straight and into Griffin’s Bend.

Third is Luke Youlden, who also leads Class A Pro-Am, the Australian fighting hard with Vervisch towards the end of the hour, taking third in the Bend Motorsports Park Gallardo down Mountain Straight.

Vervsich is still fourth, ahead of Andrew Watson in the #47 YNA Autosport McLaren 650S GT3 completing the top five.

Further down the class A order, Timo Glock has been fighting hard in the #100 BMW Team SRM M6 GT3. The German, who started dead last after the team was disqualified from Qualifying, is up to 23rd overall, after slaloming through the lower class runners and some of the Class A back-markers.

In the Invitational Class, Jake Camilleri leads the way in the #67 MARC CARS Australia MARC II V8, ahead of Ben Schoots in the Daytona Spoirtscars Viper and Keith Kassulke in the #91 MARC II V8.

It’s all change in Class B meanwhile, the Grove Motorsport Porsche which led from the start, lost its lead briefly after Ben Barker hard to serve a drive-through. The WEC regular would gain it back though before the end of the hour, after the Carrera Cup Asia 911 of Chris van der Drift had an off at pit entry, forcing an unscheduled stop.

In the GT4 ranks, the #44 Team SRM BMW of Cameron Hill leading Kuno Wittmer in the MARC GT M4 GT4. Completing the top three is the #46 PROsport Porsche, breaking the BMW M4 deadlock.